Tourists from Bahrain and three other GCC countries will no longer need a visa to visit China – for up to 30 days – starting on June 9.
Beijing has decided to extend a unilateral visa-free policy to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait on a trial basis from June 9, 2025 to June 8, 2026, said Chinese Premier of the State Council Li Qiang during his speech at the Asean-China-GCC Summit, being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Qatari citizens already have a 30-day visa-free access to China.
“To promote travel and people-to-people bond between the three sides, China has decided to extend a unilateral visa-free policy to Bahrain, Saudi, Oman and Kuwait, and also to roll out an Asean Visa for Southeast Asia,” said Mr Li.
“China, Asean and GCC countries have a long history of friendly interactions, with exchanges and co-operation between us spanning thousands of years from the ancient Silk Road to the Belt and Road Initiative,” he added.
According to China’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, around 94.6 million tourists visited the country last year, marking a 78.8 per cent increase.
To further attract tourists, the country has regularly simplified visa procedures and implemented unilateral visa-free policies for more than 30 countries to date.
Additionally, it is estimated that China on average had more than 6,000 international passenger flights per week travelling to 42 airports with 41 airlines.
Bahrain and China established diplomatic relations in 1989, and have since developed several comprehensive strategies to enhance diplomatic co-operation and trade.
Last year, Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national carrier, launched new flights to two major Chinese cities – Guangzhou and Shanghai.
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